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A FIRE TRUCK NAMED RED

Staake and de Sève are a perfect match in this intergenerational tale that puts value on experience, memories, and time...

When Rowan receives his grandfather’s toy fire truck, he learns to see beauty—and adventure—in the old.

It’s Rowan’s birthday, and the red-haired white boy knows exactly which fire truck he wants. From the store window it beckons, with larger-than-life features and dazzling red paint. But instead, he gets Papa’s rusty old truck. Disappointment and tears brew, but it’s apparent Papa loves the old toy, and as he repairs Red, he recounts their daring deeds. A skeptical Rowan politely listens, until the stories become so interesting, so real, they fill the page, and Rowan is swept up in them, becoming part of Red’s history, seeing Red’s possibilities. Even before the fresh paint dries, Rowan realizes the beauty of Red—and of Papa. Staake’s signature style is as appealing as ever, but it’s his brilliant use of contrasting styles that gives Red its soul. Here, the new, modern toys are rendered in his typical, flat style, whereas Red is depicted with photorealism and loaded with texture, giving the old fire truck life, character, and depth. Papa’s memories of Red are done in an evocative sepia tone. As the adventures become more engrossing, Rowan is literally pulled into them until he is fully immersed, deepening his bond to his Papa.

Staake and de Sève are a perfect match in this intergenerational tale that puts value on experience, memories, and time spent together. An absolute delight. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: May 3, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-374-30073-9

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2016

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HOW TO CATCH A MAMASAURUS

From the How To Catch… series

A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.

Another creature is on the loose.

The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.

A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: March 5, 2024

ISBN: 9781728274300

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland

Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024

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YOUR BABY'S FIRST WORD WILL BE DADA

Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.

A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.

A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.

Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: June 9, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015

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